Hunahpú and Xbalanqué Defeat Zipacna

How did Hunahpú and Xbalanqué defeat Zipacná?

The boys’ hearts were full of rancor because 400 young men had been killed by Zipacná.

He only hunted fish and crabs, his daily food, at the riverbank.

• He went about looking for food during the day.
• At night, he carried mountains on his back.

With a leaf of the ec plant which is found in the forest, Hunahpú and Xbalanqué quickly made a figure to look like a very large crab.

With this they made the stomach of the crab; the claws, they made of pahac, and for the shell, which covers the back, they used a stone.

Then they put the crab at the bottom of a cave at the foot of a large mountain called Meaguán, where he was overcome.

Then the boys went to find Zipacná on the river bank.

Boys

Where are you going, young man?

Zipacna

I am only looking for food.

Boys

What is your food?

Zipacna

Fish and crabs. But there are none here. I have not eaten since day before yesterday. I am dying of hunger

Hunahpu and Xbalanque

Over there in the bottom of the ravine there is a crab, a really large crab, and it would be well if you would eat it! Only it bit us when we tried to catch it and so we were afraid. We wouldn’t try to catch it for anything

Zipacna

I beg you come and show it to me

Hunahpu and Xbalanque

We do not want to. You go alone, you will not get lost. Follow the bank of the river and you will come out at the foot of a large hill; there it is making a noise at the bottom of the ravine. You have only to go there

Zipacna

Oh won’t you accompany me? Come and show it to me. There are many birds which you can shoot with your blowguns and I know where to find them

His meekness convinced the boys.

They asked him:

Boys

But, can you really catch him? Because it is only for you that we are returning; we are not going to try to get it again because it bit us when we were crawling into the cave. After that we were afraid to crawl in, but we almost caught it. So, then, it is best that you crawl in

Zipacna

Very well

And then they went with him. They arrived at the bottom of the ravine and there, stretched on his back, was the crab, showing his red shell. And there also in the bottom of the ravine was the boys’ hoax.

Zipacna

[happily] Good! Good! I should like to have it in my mouth already!

He was really dying of hunger. He wanted to try to crawl in, he wanted to enter, but the crab was climbing.

He came out at once and the boys asked:

Boys

Did you not get it?

Zipacna

No, because he was going up and I almost caught him. But perhaps it would be good if I go in from above.

And then he entered again from above, but as he was almost inside, with only the soles of his feet showing, the great hill slid and fell slowly down on his chest.

Zipacná never returned and he was changed into stone.

In this way Zipacná was defeated by the two boys, Hunahpú and Xbalanqué; he was the elder son of Vucub-Caquix, and he, according to the ancient legend, was the one who made the mountains.

At the foot of the hill called Meaguán he was vanquished. Only by a miracle was he vanquished, the second of the arrogant ones. One was left, whose history we shall tell now.